WASHINGTON -- Law enforcement officials disrupted "planned attacks" meant to target the UFC cage-fighting show staged at the White House this past weekend, and multiple people were in custody, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Tuesday.
Multiple sources told ABC News that the plot included explosive drones that were to target buildings in the area of the event. Additional details are expected to be released once charges are unsealed later Tuesday.
Five people were arrested from states including Ohio, Missouri and California, said a law enforcement official familiar with the matter. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss information that was not yet public.
The FBI learned about the possible threat on June 10, four days before the mixed martial arts extravaganza on the White House's South Lawn, "and thanks to the rapid action of the FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold," Patel said in a post on X on Tuesday morning.
The Secret Service "worked around the clock to identify those responsible and hold them accountable," Director Sean Curran said in a separate statement.
Law enforcement officials told ESPN there were 14 arrests, out of the tens of thousands of people who attended the three-day event, for various crimes including disorderly conduct ant drug possession. The UFC, as of Tuesday morning, had not provided exact numbers of people who entered the Lincoln Memorial or Ellipse for the news conference and two-day fan festival.
President Donald Trump, who celebrated his 80th birthday at the UFC event Sunday, sought to tie the fights to larger celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this story.